The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-07
WHITE SLAVES.
A Horrible story of the HaWai1sn
Sugar PRRntRGIOms.

! restaurant, Ouly TCdCnSO SLIo CITY AZ"
DAYS ago. He has just escaped from
a life of slavery that is, according to his
story, hundred times more severe IN
every respect than were the old slavery
days before the war. Learning OF this
fact, "Times" reporter looked him up
Yesterday, and drew out the following
statement, which was told in straight
forward manner that cannot be dlsbe-
lieved.
"Almost six years ago." began Mr..
Benedict, CT was a waiter in San
Francisco restaurant, when l was taken
sick. and the doctor who attended me
told me that 1 would have to get away
from the San Francisco fogs unless l
wanted to die with consumption. The
first day that was able to be out l
walked down to the water front and was
watching the ships discharge, when
stranger approached and asked me to
take walk. After having little con-
versation with me he learned that
wished to leave the city, and he told me
that he was friendly with number OF
people in Honolulu, land that he was
confident that l could get work as soon
as I reached the Islands. He told me
that he represented certain firm, and
was confident that / could get free pas
sage to the Islands if would go. 1 met
him the next day and he informed me
that he had secured thirteen others who
would go, and he introduced me to sew
eral of them. They all thought it
good chance to get out of California for a
while, and l consented to go. We sailed
on a schooner under a man named
Myers, and were treated like regular
passengers for few days, or until We all
got over our seasickness, when Captain
Myers came around one day with big
blank book in his hands. He asked us
our true names, place of birth, age, and
what occupation we had followed.
SUSPICION AROUSED.
eve thought it very strange proceed
ings, but said nothing, although we
were greatly troubled. When we reached
the Islands, we did not go into port, but
stopped outside. A steam launch was
soon alongside and man, who repre-
sented himself as doctor, came aboard.
He and the Captain were closeted for
quite while, when the doctor came aft
and gave each one of us medical ex-
animation. The Captain and doctor
then left the ship, and few hours after
we weighed anchor and for two days we
we're sailing in and out among islands.
Finally we were landed at large sugar
plantation and given to understand that
we were to work in the field. We
learned the next day that the plantation
was owned by two men, who were con-
sidered the hardest task-masters on the
Islands. We were told that we had
been employed through the Captain and
that we were to get $50 month each.
We hesitated about going to work at
first, but the foreman talked very nice
to us, and after we had worked month
we went to the foreman's Office to draw
our pay. Here we were Mortified to
learn that we had been sold to the sugar
planters as slaves for SO much head,
and that it would take us just three
years to buy our freedom, if we worked
every day. We were credited with 25
cents day when we worked, and when
we were tpo sick to work they charged
us Is cents day for board. They paid
so much for us, and we had to work our
freedom out at the rate of % cents
day, and under the laws of the island,
we agreed to this contract the first day |
we worked--as going to work of our own
free will signifed that we were will
ing to work for the planters for our
passage to the Islands. Well, we made |
hard kick against such treatment, but |
there was no help for it, as the planta-
ton was guarded by company of native |
soldiers, who were only too willing to |
shoot white slave who attempted to |
escape.
HARSH MEASURES.
''When we refused to work we were |
placed in the stocks and whipped until |
the blood streamed off our backs. When |
a man wanted to lay off, because of sick
ness, a plantation doctor is called in,
and if the doctor says he is not sick the
poor fellow is either whipped or killed.
have known them to take q man out |
and shoot him because he could not
work. A man was taken violently sick
one day, but the doctor said he was all
right, and the overseer made him 90 to
the field. He struggled along until
about noon. when he dropped down
dead. We were worked ten hours q day,
and no set of men were ever worked